Evening in the Grove to honor A. Duda & Sons

The Art & History Museums – Maitland (A&H) has selected A. Duda & Sons to honor at this year's Evening in the Grove, which will take place in September.

Evening in the Grove, an Orange, White and Green Gala, is the museums' annual gala. Celebrating its 15th installment this year, Evening in the Grove celebrates Central Florida's citrus history and each year honors an individual, family or business that has positively affected our history.

A. Duda & Sons, family-owned since its founding in 1926, is being honored by the A&H for its leadership in agricultural innovation and community involvement, as well as, more recently, its promotion of healthy lifestyles.

"From the first celery crop planted in 1925, to the successful international company that it is today, A. Duda & Sons, Inc. has maintained family tradition as it built its legacy and served the community," says Andrea Bailey Cox, the A&H executive director and CEO. "We are proud to honor them at this year's Evening in the Grove."

"Speaking on behalf of the Duda family, we are honored to be chosen for this recognition," says David Duda, president and CEO of A. Duda & Sons, Inc. "As a family and in our business, we have been blessed, and we believe in sharing those blessings with others."

Cox points out some of A. Duda & Sons' charitable work in Central Florida: "From donating Nature's Deli salad bars to numerous Seminole County schools to incorporate healthy, fresh foods into students' lunches, to donating 40,000 pounds of fresh produce to SCPS' Families in Transition program just this past year, to being a long time leader in celery development, A. Duda & Sons, Inc. is a tremendous asset to Central Florida," she says.

Evening in the Grove begins with a VIP reception and continues with a silent auction and cocktail reception. The evening culminates with a tribute dinner, entertainment and live auction. This year, in celebration of A. Duda & Sons, Inc., the A&H will incorporate celery into its citrus theme.

Tickets to Evening in the Grove are $75, $70 for A&H members. Corporate tables of 10 are available for $1,000 each. Sponsorship opportunities range from $1,500 to $10,000. Current Sponsors are New Traditions Bank and BB&T.

Proceeds support the programming of the A&H Museums.

For tickets and sponsorship information, call Devin Dominguez at 407-539-2181, Ext. 262 or go to http://www.ArtandHistory.org.

Evening in the Grove will be 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Sheraton Orlando North Hotel in Maitland.